No off switch on TV

scruffyone

I have bought a new LG LCD TV which does not switch off unless the plug is pulled out. It only operates in an 'on' or 'standby' position from the set. Can anyone advise me how much extra electricity is used by this lack of 'off' function.

alanrowell

Model number?

And have you checked the manual?

scruffyone

Model No. LGRZ32LB1DB. I have spoken to LG and they tell me that this correct, the only way to turn the TV off is to pull the plug. I phoned them after I read the manual. They also inform me that leaving the TV on standby does not use any electricity!!!!! They also say that if a TV switches off and the plug is left in electricity is still being used - news to me but I am interested in other peoples' ideas.

superscaper

According to LG's own website it uses 3W in standby.

cledor

scruffyone wrote:

Model No. LGRZ32LB1DB. I have spoken to LG and they tell me that this correct, the only way to turn the TV off is to pull the plug. I phoned them after I read the manual. They also inform me that leaving the TV on standby does not use any electricity!!!!! They also say that if a TV switches off and the plug is left in electricity is still being used - news to me but I am interested in other peoples' ideas.

There is always a small amount of electricity used if something is in standby, otherwise it won't function. The advice from both safety and environmental aspects is to switch off the mains overnight for such eqpt. I use a switchable mains block which powers the TV and set top box.

superscaper

cledor wrote:

There is always a small amount of electricity used if something is in standby, otherwise it won't function. The advice from both safety and environmental aspects is to switch off the mains overnight for such eqpt. I use a switchable mains block which powers the TV and set top box.

Unfortunately for some (usually older) equipment that can be impractical, eg both my hifi and vcr would lose all their memory (channels, tuning, clock) if they were unplugged. Might be worth checking around all the electrical equipment and jotting up wattage usage, many things will be insignificant. Leaving the LG tv in standby for 20 hours a day (assuming 4 hours of tv being on) would probably cost you an extra £1.50 for the year. Whether that's significant enough to unplugging it every day is down to personal choice.

Fifer

scruffyone wrote:

They also say that if a TV switches off and the plug is left in electricity is still being used - news to me but I am interested in other peoples' ideas.

Unless a product is designed badly, they are talking rubbish.

crox

scruffyone wrote:

They also say that if a TV switches off and the plug is left in electricity is still being used - news to me but I am interested in other peoples' ideas.

They say that about phone chargers too, could be electricity trickling through the transformer...

superscaper

Fifer wrote:

Unless a product is designed badly, they are talking rubbish.

As crox says, I'd be surprised if many appliances didn't draw some current when left plugged in even if completely switched off. The power side of the transformer will still be connected to mains and since nothing is 100% efficient it will still waste some energy but hopefully a good design will mean it is negligible.

Fifer

Any correctly designed piece of electrical equipment should have the transformer isolated by the 'Off' switch. The only thing between the off switch and the plug should be the power lead and a fuse.

superscaper

Fifer wrote:

Any correctly designed piece of electrical equipment should have the transformer isolated by the 'Off' switch. The only thing between the off switch and the plug should be the power lead and a fuse.

I suppose if you had another off switch internally wired to the input side of the transformer if it's internal, to be quite honest I don't know how modern electrical appliances are designed (my electrical engineering experience consisted of power generation scale, not home use appliances). If it's an external transformer then I don't see how it would be possible to have the input circuit broken by powering off the appliance on the output side.